Mr. Speaker, this past December, the Prime Minister announced that Canadian Arctic waters were indefinitely off limits to future offshore oil and gas licensing. Although this decision is undoubtedly beneficial to the northern environment, it must be balanced with the needs of Nunavummiut. Implementing offshore oil and gas could generate new-found economic opportunities for Nunavut, creating jobs and own-source revenues that could be used toward improving the third world living conditions that currently exist in our territory.

Engaging in real consultations with Nunavut on issues such as this regarding territorial self-sustainability is part of the devolution process that Nunavummiut want and expect from the government.

As a result of this lack of consultation, the Government of Canada has taken away a potential source of revenue for Nunavut. This issue will need to be addressed and seriously considered during devolution talks.

Mr. Speaker, a new year has begun, and 2017 promises to be an exciting one for all Canadians. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and it will be full of significant moments and events to celebrate our past, present, and future.

An important anniversary like this one is a defining moment in our history, and we will be honouring it with pride and enthusiasm in communities across the country.

Canada 150 is a unique opportunity to reflect on what defines us and create an optimistic vision for the future of our country. It is also an opportunity to pursue reconciliation with indigenous peoples. Many projects and activities are planned for 2017. Canadians are welcome to participate in everything from major nationwide projects to smaller community projects. Together, let us make the most of everything this extraordinary year has to offer.

Mr. Speaker, it was great to be able to spend time in my riding over the constituency break. I hosted four round table meetings and a Christmas open house. I visited businesses and met with constituents one on one.

The number one concern of my constituents remains the economy. Alberta is facing very high unemployment. We have lost jobs in the energy sector but also in other sectors.

It was an honour to welcome my friend, the MP for Edmonton Riverbend, to my riding for a joint round table on how to create jobs in Alberta. He and the member for Calgary Nose Hill are chairing the Alberta jobs task force, a Conservative initiative to generate constructive ideas to help the government respond. This was our best attended round table yet.

January saw the introduction of a provincial carbon tax in Alberta. My riding in January is a cold place, and people rightly saw the injustice of a tax on home heating fuel and a tax on families who need to use a car because they cannot walk their kids to the grocery store.

Be assured that now back in Ottawa, I will do everything I can to get the government to finally listen to the people of our community.

Mr. Speaker, in this lunar new year of the rooster, I had hoped to bring upbeat greetings on behalf of my riding. Instead, I bring a message of solidarity, love, and support from Edmonton Centre to the people of Quebec City and to all Canadians of the Muslim faith.

In the same city where the first mosque in Canada, the Al Rashid Mosque, was constructed in 1938, our community, our province, and our country have been built with the wisdom, dignity, and humanity that our Muslim brothers and sisters have brought to our land.

Tragic events like the unspeakable loss of life in Quebec City gives our community pause. By expressing our values of inclusion and tolerance and celebrating the strength of our diversity, we share the best of what it means to be Canadian.

As a member of Parliament, I will continue to defend and promote our Canadian values of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion on behalf of and alongside all residents of Edmonton Centre.

Mr. Speaker, on this first day of Black History Month, I stand before the House as a proud representative of a treasured area that was a destination on one of the southwestern Ontario routes of the Underground Railroad and that has been home to many pioneers, past and present, of civil rights and human rights in Canada.

This is a poignant time to recognize those who worked to build a more just society. I salute people like Glen Cook and Ken Turner, who preserve and honour the burial sites of our country's earliest black settlers, and like Elise Harding-Davis, local historian and author, and Irene Moore Davis, president of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, who both work to preserve, promote, and educate the public about our rich African-Canadian heritage.

We are grateful for such valued individuals like these who advance our society by increasing our understanding and appreciation of the significant contributions made to our country by Canadians of African descent.

Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back. The holiday season is always a time of joy for Canadians as they get an opportunity to reconnect with their families.

The Sikh Youth Federation did something really special over these holidays. On December 27, 200 high school students spread warmth and hope by participating in the Downtown Seva Initiative. The group donated over 300 care packages to the homeless, including food and warm clothing. These students used their break from school to spread hope and warmth to the less fortunate and spread the message of seva, selfless service, all across the city of Toronto.

I am incredibly proud of these young Canadians. They are truly leading today and will be prepared to lead tomorrow. Join me in congratulating the Sikh Youth Federation.

'Twas two nights before Christmas Not a soul in the House When the finance report came in like a mouse The debt was hung out 'til 2055 Though none on fixed income could hope to survive.

The children's tax credits were all at an end While the Liberal entitlements continued to spend And the oil and gas industry, under duress Were dealt a new carbon tax for added stress.

When out on an island arose violations Of all ethics rules that were here in our nation Away to the commissioner we flew like a flash To protest the access of government for cash When what to my wondering eyes should appear But our Prime Minister with a cross-country ear With a talking point message so scripted and quick I knew it was making all Canadians sick He was looking all rock star from his head to his toes Like the billionaire Chinese had donated his clothes His eyes how they twinkled, his answers off topic His knowledge of average Canucks microscopic And I thought that he said to Canadians everywhere Higher taxes for you, and I really don't care.

Mr. Speaker, we need to support the hard work and creativity of our rural municipalities. They are often very creative and come up with plans for diverse events that encourage cultural exchanges.

In my riding of Saint-Jean, one such community has made its mark by creating the Saint Valentine's Festival. One of the activities planned is a special postmark service. I have sent my colleagues an email explaining how they can profess their love to their partner. Canada Post has created a special postmark for all mail that leaves the municipality of Saint-Valentin.

Anyone who wants to show their romantic side to their sweetheart can send a special message from the love capital of Canada. Initiatives like these are possible thanks to the dedication of many volunteers who are working hard to create a united and inclusive Canada.

Marie was, first and foremost, a lifelong partner with her husband J.P.—for the family, on the farm, and in the farm movement.

Marie was an activist. As a farm activist, she fought for the rights of farmers and organized marketing with the National Farmers Union. She served in many roles, including as women's vice-president for Canada. Internationally, she worked to establish projects with Farmers Helping Farmers, focusing on helping women in Kenya and elsewhere.

Marie was a social activist with The Cooper Institute, organizing for progressive social, economic, and cultural change.

She was a community builder at home and abroad and in her church. Marie was also a feminist in the true sense, fighting for matrimonial property rights and women's rights generally.

In 1983, she stated, “We should never give up the struggle”, and she never did.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 150th anniversary of Canada, a great big beautiful country built by rural Canadians, among others.

In 2017, there will also be celebrations in Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier. The town of Pont-Rouge will be celebrating its 150th anniversary. This summer, we will have the privilege of welcoming the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride.

The town of Saint Raymond is celebrating its 175th anniversary. On Saturday, February 11, I will be participating in Fort Blizzard with the mayor, Daniel Dion.

The former municipality of Les Écureuils, which merged with the town of Donnacona, is celebrating its 275th anniversary. Broomball was invented in Les Écureuils and a broomball tournament is being held this month.

We are also celebrating the 375th anniversary of the historic village of Neuville. This town was once the breadbasket of New France, thanks to its fertile lands, and it is still known today for its famous corn. I joined the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec for the launch of the festivities.

The most beautiful riding, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, invites you to come celebrate all year long.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to stand today in recognition of Black History Month. It is a time to reflect and to celebrate their contribution to our culture, to our institutions, and to our society.

I was delighted for Nova Scotia with the Senate appointment of Wanda Bernard, PhD, from East Preston, and the selection of Viola Desmond as the first Canadian woman to appear on the $10 bill.

As we reflect on these two exceptional women who have contributed, and all those who have contributed to human rights and social justice, we must remember that we must continue to move forward and push forward.

Mr. Speaker, youth homelessness and mental health is a major issue across Canada, but particularly in my home town of Brampton.

Homeless youth have no place to go. Mental health services are lacking and hard to access. Brampton's community partners need our assistance today and tomorrow. This is why, on January 13, I hosted a round table on this issue with key stakeholders across Brampton to initiate dialogue on what the federal government can do to help solve this issue. Small steps have been taken with the opening of Brampton's first temporary youth shelter, but there is much work still to be done.

I encourage all members to become champions in their communities, because this issue affects our most vulnerable youth.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's energy is the most environmentally and socially responsible oil and gas in the world. The oil sands give jobs and prosperity to every region in Canada, but the Prime Minister wants to “phase them out”.

Here is what the oil sands mean for Canada: $4 trillion for the economy, $490 billion in transfer payments, and 905,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs over the next 20 years. Every one job in the oil sands creates 2.5 jobs across Canada. More than 3,400 businesses, 145 in the Maritimes, over 300 each in Quebec and B.C., and over 1,500 in Ontario. The Prime Minister suggest the oil sands pit the environment against the economy, but he is wrong, and the world-class technology that unlocked the oil sands will drive future energy technologies.

The world will keep needing oil and gas for generations, and the world needs more Canada. The Prime Minister should champion Canadian jobs and Canadian energy.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of Black History Month, which gives Canadians the opportunity to reflect on past and present contributions of black Canadians.

During a recent trip to Ghana, I saw first-hand the harsh realities of the transatlantic slave trade, the legacy that has impacted the black community for centuries. To ensure these atrocities never happen again, everyone must understand this history and make definitive efforts to ensure that racism and oppression are eliminated. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I stand today as six of our brothers were murdered in Quebec because of intolerance and hate.

Black History Month makes us think about how we can build a more just society and to re-engage in the fight for equality.

Mr. Speaker, despite the Prime Minister's feminist words at the United Nations, he has failed to act, and the United Nations is calling him on it. The UN Committee to End Discrimination Against Women told Canada to get to work on pay equity, legal aid, abortion access, child care, and indigenous women's safety. It is a big list, and this is a big deal.

The government says it cares about the UN and it cares about women's rights, yet the UN says the government is failing to act. This morning, hundreds of women's labour and justice organizations called on the Prime Minister to heed the UN demand, and step up for women's equality.

Last month, thousands of women marched for women's rights. New Democrats stand with them. We want the government to get to work, uphold human rights, and make equality a reality for all women.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance said yesterday that the middle class had not had a raise in a generation, I thought I would look at his chart on middle-class incomes, which is the first one in his very first budget. It showed that he was almost right. In fact, the loss of middle-class income between 1976 and 1983 was so massive that it actually took 30 years to recover all of that lost wealth. Of course, it was the result of the policies of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who increased debt, taxes, nationalization, and government all around. Does it sound familiar?

This is not the whole story though. The Harper era, according to this Liberal chart, saw the largest increase in middle-class incomes in the last 40 years, with an increase of $5,000 for 11% after inflation, and record low poverty rates.

It is important for the minister to study this chart to learn the mistakes of the previous Trudeau government so as not to repeat them.

Today, I want to offer my sympathy and prayers to the families and to Quebec City's Muslim community as a whole. I grew up with them and they helped me thrive in Sainte-Ursule and Saint-Benoît, as part of the Caravelles, at Rochebelle and throughout my life.

Today, I also want to ask their forgiveness, forgiveness for watching while, over the past few years, they were ostracized and stigmatized, while fear, mistrust, and hatred took root in the hearts of my fellow human beings. I did my best to do something about it, but I ask their forgiveness for not doing enough. Words have consequences, but so does silence.

Never again. Sainte-Foy is and always will be your home.

Now, I sincerely hope that you will find in your hearts the strength to do what so many people have refused to do and to see the good that still manages to shine through the darkness that is threatening to overtake our society.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.

Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?

Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future.

This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.

Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.